09
"Whites Only" Pool Protest Photo
This photograph captures a white man pouring acid into a public swimming pool during the era of racial segregation. The act was carried out to prevent Black people from using a space designated as “whites only.” The image freezes a moment of deliberate cruelty, where chemical violence was used to enforce racial boundaries.​​
10
The Spook Who Sat by the Door Flyer
This poster advertises The Spook Who Sat by the Door, a film based on Sam Greenlee’s novel. The story follows Dan Freeman, the first Black CIA agent, who uses his training to organize revolutionary resistance within Black communities.
The title deliberately reclaims a racial slur, weaponizing language to confront the audience with America’s fear of Black political intelligence and insurgency. The visual language of the poster often emphasizes secrecy, surveillance, and defiance.
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11
Leone Bennett Jr. Signed Letter
This signed Ebony publication bears the autograph of Leone Bennett Jr., a journalist, author, and cultural commentator known for documenting Black life, politics, and intellectual thought. Ebony served as a critical platform for counter-narratives, presenting Black people as complex, dignified, and central to American culture during a time when mainstream media often erased or distorted Black experiences.​
12
Shirley Chisolm Cover Story
This issue of JET magazine features Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s presidential nomination. JET, known for its accessible reporting and visual storytelling, brought Chisholm’s image and message into Black households nationwide.
The magazine situates Chisholm not as a novelty, but as a serious political force, emphasizing her presence in spaces long closed to Black women​
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